Driven to Discover: Our Lakes, Our Legacy (video)

Lakes are a part of the people of Minnesota’s identity. We all want to protect that. But there are 13 million surface acres of water in Minnesota—and a limited number of paid professionals available to prevent the serious threat of aquatic invasive species (AIS). So U of M faculty members Megan Weber and Dan Larkin are enlisting passionate citizens to protect Minnesota’s waters. Through the innovative AIS Detectors program, volunteers like Stephen Long and Cecilia Riedman are keeping these species from spreading to the pristine waters they call home.

See Extension in more Driven to Discover videos

From Garlic to Grocery: turning empty trucks into bigger business for rural Minnesota
Why are there food deserts in the heart of some of the most productive farm country in the world? That’s a good question. Through the one-of-a-kind rural Minnesota Backhaul Project, Kathy Draeger, Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, is connecting rural grocers and farmers to bring new sources of fresh food to Greater Minnesota.

Sowing the Seeds of Success: a new set of learning tools for Minnesota’s farmers
Jake Overgaard and his University of Minnesota Extension educator colleagues are using a new generation of educational tools to meet farmers where they’re at. That might include a podcast on improving disease management (to listen to while they’re driving a combine), or a YouTube video on business planning. Because when it comes to farming, an extra set of hands is always helpful.